Jay-Z says therapists should be in schools

Hip hop artist Jay-Z addressed the issue of mental health Saturday, telling CNN's Van Jones that he was open about se...

Posted: Jan. 28, 2018 3:38 PM

Updated: Jan. 28, 2018 3:38 PM

Hip hop artist Jay-Z addressed the issue of mental health Saturday, telling CNN's Van Jones that he was open about seeing a therapist himself, and that the stigma attached to mental health issues was "ridiculous."

"Mental health, PTSD and trauma is so rampant in our community," Jones remarked to Jay-Z on the premiere of "The Van Jones Show," before joking that " as scared as black folks are of the cops, we're even more scared of therapists."

"Yeah, it's a stigma," agreed the 21-time Grammy winner, adding that "if you grow, you realize the ridiculousness of the stigma attached to it."

Teenagers especially need help, the rapper emphasized, as young adults often "don't have the language to navigate" their problems with everything from drinking to social anxiety to bullying.

"I think actually it should be in our schools. Children have the most going on. Their minds aren't fully developed," he said.

"How can you know that when a guy's bullying you all you have to do is say, 'Man, are you OK?'" he told Jones.